Phil Steele Picks The Sun Belt

[MeanGreen61]

Found this on another board.

Sun Belt

1. Troy

2. Florida Atlantic

3. Louisiana-Monroe

4. Middle Tennessee

4. Arkansas State

6. Louisiana-Lafayette

7. Florida International

8. North Texas

1st Team Offense

QB Omar Haugabrook, Troy

RB Calvin Dawson, ULM

RB Jamario Thomas, N Texas

WR Derrick Smith, ULL

WR LaGregory Sapp, ULM

WR Gary Banks, Troy

TE Kenneth "Zeek"Zacharie, ULM

C Adam Hill, ULM

OG Chad Rose, N Texas

OG Aaron Schultz, ULM

OT Chris Jamison, Troy

OT Kyle Cunningham, ULM

K Drew Edminstron, ULL

KR Damon Nickson, Mid Tenn

1st Team Defense

DL Tavares Jones, Mid Tenn

DL Josh Pinnick, FAU

DL Jervonte Jackson, FAU

DL Erik Walder, Mid Tenn

LB Koby McKinnon, Ark St

LB Cardia Jackson, ULM

LB Josh Thompson, ULM

CB Bradley Robinson, Mid Tenn

CB Kyle Ward, ULL

SS Tyrell Johnson, Ark St

FS Damon Nickson, Mid Tenn

P Truman Spencer, N Texas

PR Frantz Simeon, FAU

2nd Team Offense

QB Corey Leonard, Ark St

RB Tyrell Fenroy, ULL

RB Reggie Arnold, Ark St

WR Bobby Williams, Mid Tenn

WR Levi Dejohnette, Ark St

WR Frantz Simeon, FAU

TE Stephen Chicola, Mid Tenn

C Nick Paris, FAU

OG Jarrid Smith, FAU

OG Windham Rotunda, Troy

OT Matt Mandich, Ark St

OT Franklin Dunbar, Mid Tenn

K Cole Wilson, ULM

KR Leodis McKelvin, Troy

2nd Team Defense

DL Jeremiah Chapman, N Texas

DL Korey Raymond, ULL

DL Trevor Jenkins, Mid Tenn

DL Kenny Mainor, Troy

LB Brenton Burkhalter, ULL

LB Maurice Holman, N Texas

LB Cergile Sincere, FAU

CB Lionell Singleton, FIU

CB Montis Harrison, Ark St

SS Trevor Ford, Troy

FS Khayyam Burns, Ark St

P Brett Shrable, Ark St

PR Leodis McKelvin, Troy

3rd Team Offense

QB Rusty Smith, FAU

RB Kenny Cattouse, Troy

RB Charles Pierre, FAU

WR Brandon Jackson, N Texas

WR Mykeal Terry, Troy

WR Patrick Higgins, Ark St

TE Clinton Corder, Mid Tenn

C Xavier Shannon, FIU

OG Adam Venegas, N Texas

OG Matt Reibe, Ark St

OT Jesse Newman, ULL

OT Larry Shappley, ULM

K Josh Arauco, Ark St

KR Lionell Singleton, FIU

3rd Team Defense

DL Rodney Hardeway, ULL

DL Wes Hofacker, Mid Tenn

DL Brandon Perry, Mid Tenn

DL Sean Mosley, Mid Tenn

LB Boris Lee, Troy

LB Brandon Monroe, N Texas

LB Frantz Joseph, FAU

CB Greg James, ULM

CB Leodis McKelvin, Troy

SS Lamar Morgan, ULL

FS Taheem Acevedo, FAU

P Mike O'Neill, FAU

PR Desmond Gee, Mid Tenn

4th Team Offense

QB Kinsmon Lancaster, ULM

RB Cam Montgomery, N Texas

RB Sean Dawkins, Troy

WR Taron Henry, Mid Tenn

WR Kevin Jones, Ark St

WR Jeremy Dickens, FIU

TE David Johnson, Ark St

C Brandon Nix, Mid Tenn

OG Jeffery Eugene, FIU

OG Patrick Avinger, ULM

OT David Price, Mid Tenn

OT Andy Leavine, FIU

K Greg Whibbs, Troy

KR Brandon Thompkins, Ark St

4th Team Defense

DL Brian Flagg, Ark St

DL Chris Bradwell, Troy

DL Montey Stevenson, N Texas

DL Roland Clarke, FIU

LB Ben Owens, Ark St

LB Colt Mahan, N Texas

LB Derek Mendoza, N Texas

CB Antoine Bush, N Texas

CB Dominique Green, N Texas

SS Kris Bartels, FAU

FS Aaron Weathers, N Texas

P Chris Cook, FIU

PR Lionell Singleton, FIU

LINK

http://www.ncaastrategies.com/utopia/showt...9265&page=4

[NT03]

I'm sure several posters will argue w/ Steele , but It's hard to make a case given our track record over the past 2 years. Some still see us as a pathetic offensive team who just hired a High School coach. While I don't agree w/ the 8th finish prediction , I can't argue too much against it. I was however shocked at MTSU as 4th & Aaron Weathers as a ...4th team Defense ???

Edited June 3, 2007 by NT03

[CaribbeanGreen]

FAU & LaMo at 2 & 3?!?

[NT80]

I think someone forgot to tell Phil that Dickey was fired.

[UNTFan23]

For Phil to put us behind a winless FIU ... wow.

I do think we'll shock some people this season.

[MeanGreenBuzz]

For Phil to put us behind a winless FIU ... wow.

I do think we'll shock some people this season.

I don't think we will just shock some people. I think we will shock a lot of people. No one out there is willing to give a team with arguably the worst offense in the nation and a HS coach a second look. I would love to win the SBC Championship and go to the NO Bowl and see all these prognosticators eat their words.

[DeepGreen]

Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

[NT80]

I don't think we will just shock some people. I think we will shock a lot of people. No one out there is willing to give a team with arguably the worst offense in the nation and a HS coach a second look. I would love to win the SBC Championship and go to the NO Bowl and see all these prognosticators eat their words.

It's like the early committs recently, a whole mindset of changes is occuring. It just takes some a little longer to know about it....

[UNTflyer]

I'll be happy with a .500 season.

[Mean Green 93-98]

We've had a few subpar recruiting years. I would be quite happy with a .500 season (especially if it includes a win against SMU), and thrilled with a winning season. Give TD's recruits (especially next year's and following) time to mature, and in a few years competing for the Sun Belt title might only be the tip of the iceberg.

[Got5onIt]

I'll be happy with a .500 season.

ditto

[emmitt01]

We've had a few subpar recruiting years. I would be quite happy with a .500 season (especially if it includes a win against SMU), and thrilled with a winning season. Give TD's recruits (especially next year's and following) time to mature, and in a few years competing for the Sun Belt title might only be the tip of the iceberg.

My greatest fear is that we may all be deeply disappointed if the "savior" doesn't come through by the end of year one.

[TIgreen01]

I'm sure several posters will argue w/ Steele , but It's hard to make a case given our track record over the past 2 years. Some still see us as a pathetic offensive team who just hired a High School coach. While I don't agree w/ the 8th finish prediction , I can't argue too much against it. I was however shocked at MTSU as 4th & Aaron Weathers as a ...4th team Defense ???

Agreed....MTSU being 4th is esp. shocking since he's got basically their entire defense making one of his 4 defensive teams. He must expect their offense to be terrible??

Phil Steele is strickly a numbers and odds man. For him to rank us any higher would have required us to be better than we were last year and for there to be a precedent set for the HS to college coach jump to sometimes work out. The odds are definitely not in our favor going into this season and I'll be surprised if anyone has us picked better than 8th going into the season.

Edited June 4, 2007 by TIgreen01

[Censored by Laurie]

I think the top 4 is pretty acurate...FAU brings back 19 of 22 starters and every one in the nation has a man crush on ULM TB Calvin Dawson. I think we'll be better than FIU...but agreed with the concensus on here of .500 being a successful year.

As for the all sbc teams: Jamario a first teamer after his last 2 years is a surprise...I think Tyrell Fenroy may have been a better choice. I am quite disappointed by the lack of any of our front seven being listed on first team defense (Jeremiah Chapman and Maurice Holman).

Also...interesting transition for Troy...they came into the SBC as a defensive team and have no first team defensive players this season...and just 4 on all 4 teams.

[PlummMeanGreen]

We've had a few subpar recruiting years. I would be quite happy with a .500 season (especially if it includes a win against SMU), and thrilled with a winning season. Give TD's recruits (especially next year's and following) time to mature, and in a few years competing for the Sun Belt title might only be the tip of the iceberg.

I think in light of the last 2 years and all the under-the-radar recruiting results of the last few years that UNT finishing in the top 4 of the 2007 SBC football campaign is realistic and might be considered a good start for TDodge & staff...........

...............but we are also in the kind of league where its very possible to rise from the bottom and go to the top.

Sort of apples and oranges with this, but in Fry's 1'st year in Denton he took over a Rod Rust team that had won only 1 game in 1972 and with the enthusiasm (and coaching talent) that Fry brought to NT would culminate with a Missouri Valley Conference 1'st place tie in 1973; unfortunately for us back in that day, the old MVC had no bowl tie-in).

The new (positive) direction of Mean Green football is what we can celebrate the most, because we know success will come soon enough.

Edited June 4, 2007 by PlummMeanGreen

[Spaceraider]

Agreed....MTSU being 4th is esp. shocking since he's got basically their entire defense making one of his 4 defensive teams. He must expect their offense to be terrible??

I think a lot of weight is place on not having an experience QB. If Joe Craddock can stay healthy, I expect the offense to be somewhat more potent.

MT's opening game at FAU is huge. The first game may be the best to catch FAU.

[GoMeanGreen1999]

Phil is pretty on with his predictions with college football, though he is off sometimes, but overall, he is usually the best. I think so many just don't really know what to think with this team until they see it. I don't think we will finish last in the conference. I have said that I thought we would probably go 5-7. I think there is a very good chance that most of the teams in our conference will have trouble defending the offense, and if that happens we could definately be better than that, though I don't see us winning more than 7.

[yyz28]

Look... this is very simple.

There is no way to predict what will happen this year. Could be a 180 turn around, as I don't belive we are nearly as talentless as the last two years indicate. ...good motivation and coaching may be all this group needed...

...on the other hand, a young team full of people not recurited for the new system, in conjunction with a new system on both sides of the ball could be the catalyst for a very bad year, in terms of W's and L's.

...but either way, here is what we know. Even a bad year will be a roadbump to the opporunity this program has laid in front of it. We won't lose any games in 8 overtimes after running the ball (badly, might I add...) up the middle for 231 plays in a row. We will not be demanding more concentration and dicipline out of the team like we have been in the past years. We will go out and attempt to win EVERY GAME WE PLAY. ...with the change in attitude I expect to see, I'll be happy with another 2 win season as our first step to greatness.

Let's just all support the team and the program this year no matter what the W and L results are, and do OUR PART to let this thing mature. If in the 3rd season of this new program we aren't in the hunt all the time, then we'll have room to complain. Until then, let's do our part to help nurture the start of something great!

[UNTLifer]

In the famous words of the Fake Juan "Juando" Gonzalez....Phil Steele is a bi#%h!

[Stan R]

In the famous words of the Fake Juan "Juando" Gonzalez....Phil Steele is a bi#%h!

OT: Did you know that Juan's buddy Julio Franco is still playing AT AGE 48!?!? I saw him on a clip on ESPN the other day and thought I was hallucinating!

[greenminer]

OT: Did you know that Juan's buddy Julio Franco is still playing AT AGE 48!?!? I saw him on a clip on ESPN the other day and thought I was hallucinating!

Wait, I'm not sure if this is a Bill Braskey reference.